Harold h



Patented June 2, 1925.

Uwrsrn :sTA'r-Es PAT ETNT orifice.

HAROLD H. CLARK, F SPRINGFIELD, MASSAOHUSETTS, nssmnoe'ro w-Ieo-Emctrnm GOMAPANY, or SPRINGFIELD, "MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION or Mass-Acne- SETTS.

- :INTERRUPT'ER MECHANISM.

Application; anemia 29, 1921. SIl21l,ND. 465,537.

To all w homct may concern..- I

,Be, it ,known that I, Harrow .H. CL RK, aflcitizen ofthe llg iited States, residing at Springfield, in the county of Hampden land State of .M'assachusetts,have invented .new and aiseful Improvements in .Interrnpter Mechanism, of which the following is a specification. v v I I i .This mechanism relates to ,an improved 1:3 interrupter .mechanism adapted ,for use in connection with ,magnetos and similar devices .for int rrupting the flow of current through an electric circuit. As an illustration of Tone of the I constructions in connection with which the interrupter may ,be advantageouslyemployed, reference iskmade to patentto 24,,1919. 7

One object of the invention is to provide in an interrupter mechanism .wherein straightline ,movement of the movable breaker point 'e fl i L-{ 11,9 fixedzbl'eaker pointjs assured, whereby the breaker pointsza-re compelled. to

engage with each other, squarely, thus 1minimizing the effects ofarcing andvprolonging the .useful life. o;f; tl1 e. contact faces.

A further objectof .the invention is to provide improved .means ;-for 1 connecting the movable breaker point -itli;tl1e arn'iature for actuation thereby, through; the intermediary of means which .eomp1'ess rafter en- 7 gagement ,of the breaker points .and allow overtravel of :the armature, thus insuring closeenga gement-of the breaker points even afteiuconsiderable\wear. I

Other objects of the ,invention relate to improvedidetails of construction ,and rangement. of theparts, as wilLbe more; fully set. forth ,inv-the. detaileddescription to fob .Referring to :the drawings,

Fig. .1 is a; .front -.elevational viewo f ;;a

Fig. 3 isa vertical sectional viewof the interrupter mechanism.

Referring towthese drawings :.the magneto shown is of the general type; disclosed in the abovenamed patent, but other types of Browi1,No.;1,307,343, granted June magnetos may ,be employed as desired,ithe v invention being largely independent .of the magneto structure. In.the nagnetoshown,

pret'erably carry primary and secanism is adapted toopenand close theQpri:

mary circuit periodically uponreciprocation of, the a rmatu re.

The armature 3 is lifted by a ca m l carried bya camshaft 5 and engages a roller 6 .mounted in the lower end of a verticallymovable sleeve 7 upon which is resiliently supported the armature 3, the springs being concealed Within the telescoping housings 7. Thesleeve 7 slides on a fiXedguide-rod 8 and a coiled spring 9.8111T0l1ntl8ll16 upper portion ofthe sleeve .7 and bears against the armature 3 to hold the roller 6 in constant engagement with theperiphery otthe cam.

A :member 10 is provided with an opening l1 .formed adjacent oneendthereot for the receptioirof the sleeve 7, and thismember is held against the ippersurface of the armature :by the pressure .exerted by the spring 9. Member (10 servestoactuate the interrnpter niechanismas illdater appear. 'The nterrupter vmechan sm 1s --located w thin the magneto hous ngv and 1s supported by-a member 12, which is of non-inagnetic material and connects the lower ends of cores 2. The inteig'rupter mechanism includes a guide cylinder 13, which issuitably fixed in member 12, and supports-the fixed breaker point 18. The-latter is fixed to a:-

stud 154: whiclris suitably insulated T170111 the guidelcylinderby meansoli discs 1.7.01 suitable material and he'ldin p'laceby a nut 16. The .stud 14 forms one terminal of the interruptermechanism and is connected by a Wire 15 to one terminal .of .the primary Winding, the otherterminal of thelatterbeing grounded.

Themovableibreaker point is fixed to theupper endofa relativelylong barrel likeplunger -19 Whichslidesinclosely fitting engagement in the guide cylinder 11;}. 'llheplunger' l9 is adapted to befn ove d by the described member 10,-toivhich it is con nected byau actuating rod Rod 21 passes loosely through the lower end of plunger 19 and is provided with a head 22 which loosely fits within the hollow barrellike part thereof, whereby a limited pivotal or rocking movement of the rod 21 relative to the plunger is permitted. The plunger 19 is supported from rod 21 by a coiled spring 23 located within the plunger and acting between the head 22 and the upper end of plunger 19. Absorbent washers 24 and 25, such as leather or the like, may be positioned within the cylinder 13 and carried by rod 21. These washers are supplied with oil and serve to lubricate the interior of the cylinder during the reciprocation of the plunger. A dust guard 26 is located at the lower end of the cylinder 18 and is provided with a peripheral flange 27 bearing against the lower end of the cylinder, to close the same while the rod 21 freely slides in a passage 28 formed in member 26. A coiled spring 29 surrounding rod 21, bears against the actuating member 10 and the guard 26 to retain the latter in the illustrated position at all times.

It will be seen from the above description that as the armature 3 is raised by the cam 1 into engagement with the cores 2, the member 10 is correspondingly raised to move the plunger 19 upwardly, whereby the breaker points 18 and 20 are brought into engagement and the primary circuit closed. After engagement of these points, the armature may travel afurther distance, the spring 23 compressing to take care of the overtravel. This feature is important as insuring firm engagement of the breaker points even after prolonged wear. It would be ditiicultto make the stroke of the armature and movable breaker point equal and, if made exactly equal, they would soon become unequal because of unequal wear. The straight-line movement of the breaker points is insured by the long and closely fitting guide 19 and the breaker points 18 and 20 are caused to engage squarely entirely across their mating surfaces. This feature is particularly important for it minimizes arcing and the consequent pitting of the points, resulting in prolonged life thereof.

Another important point is that the plunger 19 is not rigidly connected to member 10, but can, as described, rock slightly relatively= thereto. The plunger 19 is independently guided in cylinder 13 and the breaker points are therefore self-aligning and not dependent upon an exact alignment of the exes of plunger 19 and sleeve 7.

While the invention illustrated herewith has been described with considerable particularity in order to make clear to those skilled in the art the various structural details which may be employed in a practical utilization of the same, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the practice details of construction illustrated and described, except as they are included in the following claims.

lVhat I claim is 1. An interrupter mechanism, comprising, a guiding tube, a breaker point supported therein near one end thereof, a cooperating moving breaker point, a plunger in said tube slidably engaged with the interior peripheral wall thereof and by which the movable breaker point is guided in a straight line into square engagement with the first named breaker point, a reciprocable driving member connected to move the plunger by a positive and inelastic transmission of force therefrom in one direction to separate said points, and resilient means through the intermediary of which said driving member moves the plunger in the opposite direction-to engage said points, said driving member arranged to. continue its travel in the last named direction after the engagement of said points so that it. compresses said resilient means, and so that it'becomes started on its movement in the first named direction and acquires momentum before it moves said plunger by said inelastic transmission of force to separate said points.

2. An interrupter mechanism, comprising, a. guiding tube, a. fixed breaker pointsup ported therein near one end thereof, a relatively long plunger slidably mounted in said guide tube, and carrying a mating breaker point, a driving member connected with said plunger capable of slight pivotal movement relative thereto, and resilient means interposed between the said member and one end of the plunger.

3. An interrupter mechanism, comprising, a hollow guiding sleeve closed at one end, a breaker point within the sleeve and fixed in the closed end thereof, a plunger closely fitting said sleeve and slidable therein, a mating breaker point carried by said plunger, driving means for the plunger extendin through the open end of said sleeve, am aclosure member loosely mounted on the driving means and closing the open end of the sleeve.

4. An interrupter mechanism, comprising, a hollow guiding sleeve closed at one end, a breaker point within the sleeve and fixed in the closed end thereof, a plunger closely fitting said sleeve and slidable therein, a mating breaker point carried by said plung er, driving means for the plunger extending through the open end of said sleeve, and a closure member loosely mounted on the driving means and closing the open end of the sleeve, an abutment on the driving means outside said sleeve, and a spring acting between said abutment and the closure member to hold the latter against the sleeve at all times.

plunger extending through the other closed end 01 the plunger and having a head to engage such end, and a spring between the 10 head and the first-named end of the plunger. In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature.

HAROLD I-I. CLARK. 

